Wellington Of Yesteryears

Mr John Sullivan, First Collector of Ootacamund. 1819

Wellington of yesteryears.

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TThe oldest inscription which makes mention of the Nilgiris District dates back to about 930 AD. It was then known as‘the Land of Swamps’. A Mysore inscription of the Kadamba period, 12th Century AD, describes the district as ‘an adultress with black waving curls, an adultress with full moon face, an adultress with endless side glances, an adultress with adorned slim figure was the double Bayanad’ which was the then name for the Nilgiris. The first mention of the names - Toda and Nilgiri – is found in a record of 1117 AD, belonging to the period of Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala King. The possession of this area changed hands quite often in later years. But inhabited this was, for the account by the Jesuit priest Ferreira or Finicio of his visit to the plateau in 1602 states that Todas and Badagas were already settled there at that time. The Treaty of Srirangapatanam put the Nilgiris into the possession of the East India Company in 1799, but apparently the area was not visited by any Englishman until 1812, and certainly contained no European residence till 1819.

It is worth mentioning that Mr John Sullivan, the then Collector of Madras, was not so much the discoverer of Ootacamund, for that is under dispute, but was the first Englishman to set up residence there, and is generally considered a champion of the cause for promoting the area. He recorded that “the scenery was of extraordinary grandeur and magnificence. Everything that a combination of mountains, valleys, woods and water can afford, is to be seen here. Your readers will perhaps be surprised to learn that frosty regions are to be found at not very great distance from the Presidency (meaning Fort St. George at Madras) and within eleven degrees of the Equator”.

This form of temple (also formerly the dominant house-type) is common in Toda communities.

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Old Madras Presidency map showing Jackatalla

Arrival of British TroopsThe first regular troops moved into the barracks at

Wellington in 1854 which then had accommodation for only 54 NCOs and 820 men. There were no ‘hill stations’ in India then, and officers and officials of the Company, who were broken in health by the climate of the plains, travelled all the way to the Cape of Good Hope or Mauritius (both altogether climatically inferior to the Nilgiris) to recoup. The possibility of there existing in South India, so close to the Equator, a region where the climate was cool and invigorating was at that time, to most people, absolutely incredible. The desirability of cantoning British regiments, especially those newly arrived from ‘Home’, in order to obviate the large occurrence of sickness which usually afflicted them from residence in the plains during the hot weather, was one of the first things that struck the earliest European visitors to the hills.But there were a few among them who apparently opposed it vehemently.

Strategic objections to the location of troops in the hills were based on fears that the men would contract malaria when marching up, especially through the extremely feverish jungles on the Mysore side, as the Coonoor ‘ghats’ had not been opened up sufficiently till then. In fact, it might be of interest to note that the ABC Club (the present Gymkhana Club) of Ootacamund, so named after the games played - namely Archery, Badminton and Croquet, was more popularly referred to as Asthma, Bronchitis and Cough Club! However, initial efforts were only to erect a few temporary buildings for sick officers, so that experiments regarding the effects of the climate could be made. The visit of Sir Thomas Munro, the then Governor of Madras, in 1825 and again in 1826, and his favourable comments helped to offset some of the unfavourable reports. In 1827, the Government sanctioned a hospital for 40 invalid soldiers, and certain other works, at Ootacamund. Mr Sullivan’s dream was thus fulfilled at last.

Wellington Barracks 1897 JACKATALA

Wellington Gymkhana Club of yesteryears

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It was in 1832 that the matter of cantoning troops was forcibly brought to the attention of the Medical Board by Dr Baikie. At the end of 1839, a proposal was made by Lord Elphinstone to station a regiment, but this was turned down by the Government. In 1842, the Marquis of Tweed Dale, who was the Governor, had views similar to Lord Elphinstone, and suggested that an expansion programme of laying out barracks at Trichinopolly be dropped and similar accommodation be built in the Nilgiris. The present site of the barracks was suggested by Maj Ouchterlony for temporary accommodation and official sanction was obtained in 1847. However, for some reason the work was not immediately taken up. But plans for permanent barracks were drawn up in 1849 and were approved by the Government and the ‘Home’ authorities in 1850-51 and the construction finally began. The first regiment, 74th Highlanders, moved into the barracks on 30 March 1854 and Wellington became a military cantonment; a status which has been maintained ever since.

This place was not known as Wellington then. A name so foreign could not obviously have been associated with a place so Indian. One wonders whether the name ‘Jakatalla’ would have aroused any interest at all in the many foreigners one sees on the Wellington roads today. This place was then thus known, after the Badaga village of that name to the North of this place. Sir Arthur Wellesly, who later came to be known as Wellington, the Iron Duke (although he never actually came up to these parts), was, in later life, a strong advocate of a Military Sanatorium in the Nilgiris, and had expressed his unqualified approval of the scheme. Sir Richard Armstrong had suggested the name Wellington, but Sir Henry Pottinger believed that the name Wellington would be unintelligible to the natives. In 1860, Sir Charles Trevelyan held that this interesting military establishment could not be connected with a more appropriate name than Wellington, and ordered it to be so called forthwith.

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The barracks were completed in 1860 and a new wing was added in 1876. Almost every conceivable British infantry regiment was stationed in Wellington at one time or another. The 60th Royal Rifles followed the Highlanders. There were the battalions of Norfolk Regiment, the Royal Scots, the Durham Light Infantry and the Devonshire Regiment prior to 1900. In the period that followed, Wellington housed the Suffolk Regiment, The Royal Ulster Rifles, the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Somerset Infantry and the King’s Own Royal Regiment. The last British regiment to occupy the barracks before the Madras Regimental Centre was formed in 1947, was the Second Battalion of Worcestershire Regiment in 1942.

The Marine Survey of India was established in the Wellington Barracks in 1901. Between 1916 and 1920,the barracks were converted into an Officer CadetCollege. Wellington, as a seat of learning has therefore, historical precedent.

Ghat Roads to CoonoorAll through this period, the Cantonment in particular, and

the Nilgiris in general, were improving steadily in facilities. Of all these, the means of communication would be of interest. The earliest European visitors climbed up to Dimhatti (North of Kotagiri) and Kotagiri by the rough path which led from the now deserted village of Dananayakkankottai (near the confluence of Bhavani and Moyar). The first bridle path to be made was from Sirumugai, near Mettupalayam, which led to Dimhatti. This continued to be the chief route to the hills from the Coimbatore side until the first Coonoor ‘ghat’ road was completed in 1832. The present ‘ghat’ road was completed in 1871 and crossed the old ‘ghat’ road at nine different points, thanks to Lt (later Col) GC Law, whose name is perpetuated by the cascade called ‘Law’s Falls’ today. He built the splendid 16-mile road from Kallar, at the foot of the hills, to Coonoor. The handsome suspension bridge you come across over Kallar river was built in 1894.

Wellington Barracks

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The other ‘ghat’ road from Mettupalayam is to Kotagiri and is 21 miles long. This was completed in 1875 but is little used today. Two other ‘ghat’ roads were tried out in the North (Sirur Ghat) and West-South-West (Sisara Ghat) respectively. However, it was the Gudalur ‘ghat’ road which became the final route to Mysore. The first track for this was made in 1823 and completed in 1829. The present Gudalur ‘ghat’ road was started in 1865 and became an all weather road in 1885.

The Ooty RailThe only railway in this district runs from Mettupalayam to

Coonoor and then on to Ootacamund. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor it is 16.90 miles long and the ghat portion, which begins at Kallar, is worked on the Abt system, an improved modification of the Rigi rack-rail principle. The first sod of the line was cut by Lord Wenlock in 1891 and the line to Coonoor was commissioned in 1899. It was extended to Ootacamund in 1910.

Black Bridge and Other StructuresA map of Wellington Cantonment dated August 1877 shows

the Waterloo Bridge over which passes the road which runs from Wellington to join the Ootacamund-Coonoor road. Today it is called ‘Black Bridge’. This was first built in 1858 and collapsed before completion. It is on record that the Executive Engineer was sent back to military duty. The wooden construction was put up in 1878. A lake, was made in 1875. Alas! today, the ‘Lake-View’ house only commands a view of dense weeds. Locke Hospital, now the Military Hospital, was a hospital for venereal diseases, which had to be established alongside the barracks when an urgent necessity for it arose. The Commandant’s house has retained its location to date.

Black Bridge

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DSSC, Wellington - TIMELINE

1947Indian elements of Staff College Quetta, under

Col SD Verma moved to Wellington on 8th November 1947, which was selected as the temporary location forthe Staff College.

Col SD Verma promoted in situ to the rank of Brig.

1948 Maj Gen WDA Lentaigne, CB, CBE, DSO, took over

as the Commandant and Brig SD Verma as the Assistant Commandant in March 1948.

1st Interim Staff Course of 20 weeks duration was held from April 1948 with 46 Army, two Naval and two Air Force student officers. The course was intended to train Army officers for Grade 3 staff appointments. The Naval and Air Force officers covered the same syllabus as the Army officers.

2nd Interim Staff Course of six months duration was held from September 1948 with 52 Army, two Naval and three Air Force student officers.

Gandhi Hall was built (renamed Sardar Patel in 1951). Mountbatten and Slim Model Rooms were built.A large airy ante room was added to the Officers’ Mess.

1949Air Wing was established in the College. A full 10 month course was held for Army and Air Force

student officers from May 1949. 60 Army and eight Air Force officers attended. The course was intended to train officersup to the level of Grade 2 staff appointments.

Wellington was confirmed as the permanent location ofDSSC after lengthy correspondence between the College, Army Headquarters and Ministry of Defence. The alternatives considered were Belgaum, Bangalore, Devlali and Secunderabad.

Gandhi Hall renamed as Sardar Patel in 1951

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1951A Short Staff Duties Course was held for the

first time for technical staff officers from Technical Development Establishment, Kirkee.

Mountbatten and Slim Model Rooms were expanded with the addition of galleries to thetwo rooms.

1953The S t a f f Co l l e ge

Course capacity was increased to over 100. As many as 76 Army, seven Naval and 18 Air Force officers attended the course.

A total of nine foreign student officers also attended - four from Britain, two from Burma and one each from USA, Australia and Canada.

Naval and 18 Air Force officers attended the course.

A total of nine foreign student officers also attended - four from

The S t a f f Co l l e ge Course capacity was increased to over 100. As many as 76 Army, seven Naval and 18 Air Force

The S t a f f Co l l e ge Course capacity was increased to over 100. As many as 76 Army, seven Naval and 18 Air Force officers attended the course.

A total of nine foreign student

1955Maj Gen PS Gyani took over as the Commandant fromMaj Gen WDA Lentaigne, CB, CBE, DSO. A short Junior Naval Officers’ War course was held - the first of three

such courses. The sailing club was shifted to Pykara Lake, where a permanent boat

house was constructed.

1956Army Wing Training Camp at Bhavanisagar was introduced.

1950Naval Wing was established in the College. The

concept of Defence Services Staff College for all the three Services was fully implemented.

4th Staff Course, of 10 months’ duration, was conducted for Army, Naval and Air Force student officers. 77 Army, eight Naval and 11 Air Force officers attended the course.

For the first time a batch of seven foreign student officers attended – two from Britain, two from Burma and one each from USA, Australia and Canada.

1954Four civilian officers - three from the Indian Administrative Service and one from the Indian

Defence Science Organisation - attended the Course for the first time. A short Senior IAF Officers’ Course was held.

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1957New Administrative Block was opened by Shri Sri Prakasa, Governor of Madras,in August 1957.

1961Course capacity was increased to 150 officers. 31 foreign

officers - seven from Indonesia, four from Britain, three each from UAR and Iraq, two each from Nepal, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia and one each from Jordan, Syria, USA, Canada, Australia and Burma - attended the course.

1962The duration of the Staff Course

was decreased from 10 months to seven months due to a state of emergency following theSino - Indian conflict.

Maj Gen D Som Dutt took over as the Commandantfrom Maj Gen SHFJ Manekshaw, MC.

1963The course duration was further decreased to six months. Post of Chief Instructor (Army) was upgraded from

the rank of Colonel to Brigadier. An additionalColonel-in-Charge Division was authorised.

1964The course capacity was increased to 170 officers.

16 foreign officers - three each from Britain and Nigeria,two each from Malaysia and Jordan, and one eachfrom Canada, Australia, UAR, USA, Nepal andSri Lanka - attended the course.

Chandragupta Model Room was built.1961

1958The Prime Minister, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru,

visited the College for the first time. 110 student officers including 25 foreign officers

– seven from Indonesia, six from UAR (present day Egypt), three each from Britain and Nigeria, two from Ethiopia and one each from USA, Australia, Canada and Nepal - attendedthe Course.

1959Maj Gen PP Kumaramangalam, DSO, took over

as the Commandant from Maj Gen PS Gyani. The Prime Minister, Shri Jawaharlal Nehru,

visited the College for the second time. Maj Gen SHFJ Manekshaw, MC, took

over as the Commandant from Maj Gen PP Kumaramangalam, DSO.

1960The Army Wing was divided into A and B Divisions, one of

the divisions being under charge of a Colonel. The course capacity was increased to 120 officers. 24 foreign

officers – seven from Indonesia, four from UAR, three from Britain, two each from Nepal, Ethiopia and Malaysia, and one each from Canada, Australia, Sri Lanka and USA - attendedthe course.

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1965Maj Gen Har Prasad took over as the

Commandant from Maj Gen Som Dutt.

1968The first post-emergency long course of

10 months duration was held from January 1968. 176 student officers attended the course. A total of 20 foreign officers – five from Malaysia, three from Britain, two each from USA, Iraq and Sudan and one each from Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Ghana and Uganda - attended.

1973Library complex Valmiki was built. Raksha Mantri, Shri Jagjivan Ram, visited the College.

1969An officer each from Afghanistan, People’s

Republic of South Yemen and Zambia attended the course for the first time.

Five new syndicate rooms were built.

1970The President of India,

Dr VV Giri, visited theCollege. This was the first ever visit by the President of India to the College.

Issue of Parchment to the student officers on successful completion of the course was started.

1971Shri GS Pathak, Vice President of India visited

the College. The post of Chief Instructor (Navy)

was upgraded to the rank of Commodore.

1972Maj Gen SP Malhotra took over as Commandant from

Maj Gen RK Ranjit Singh. An officer each from Singapore and Tanzania attended the

course for the first time. The post of Chief Instructor (Air) was upgraded to the rank

of Air Commodore.

1975Maj Gen AM Sethna, AVSM, took over as Commandant

from Maj Gen SP Malhotra, PVSM. Gen TN Raina MVC, alumni of the First Interim Course in

1948, was appointed Chief of the Army Staff. A lady student from Military and

Cantonments Service attended the course for the first time.

1976Forward Area Tour for Naval and Air Force officers was

introduced. For the first time a student officer from Mauritius attended

the course.

1977An army officer from

Jamaica attended the course for the first time.

1978Maj Gen Mohinder Singh

took over as Commandant from Maj Gen AM Sethna, AVSM.

Jamaica attended the course

Maj Gen Mohinder Singh took over as Commandant from Maj Gen AM Sethna,

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1974A delegation of Parliamentarians visited the College. The

High Commissioners and Ambassadors of Japan, USA, UK, Bangladesh, Australia, Malaysia, France, Poland and Nigeria also visited the College.

1979Chanakya Information Room was built.DSSC was affiliated to Madras University for

award of M.Sc degree in Defence and Strategic Studies.

1980The College commenced awarding MSc degree in

Defence and Strategic Studies.

1981The post of Commandant was upgraded

to the rank of Lt Gen.President of India, Shri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy,

visited the College. The Governor of Tamil Nadu and Vice

Chancellor of Madras University, His Excellency Shri Sadiq Ali, presided over the ceremony to award MSc degrees at the College.

1982A beginning was made to award the winners of the ‘Owl

Essay Contest’ with a ‘Silver Salver’. Lt Gen Balaram, PVSM, assumed command of the College. Maj Gen DS Rai took over the first upgraded post of

CI (Army).

1984Lt Gen Mahipat Sinhji, PVSM assumed command

of the College.

1985President Giani Zail Singh visited the College. Jawahar syndicate rooms were built.

1986Lt Gen FN Bilimoria assumed command of the College. Lt Gen FN Bilimoria assumed command of the College. Lt Gen FN Bilimoria assumed command of the College.

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1987Lt Gen Gurinder Singh, AVSM assumed command

of the College. For the first time the Army Wing had a husband and wife

team attending the course. For the first time, a lady student officer, Mrs A Kaul from

the Indian Railways Traffic Service attended the course with the Army Wing.

1988 For the first time ever, a student officer from the USSR

attended the course. The course also had student officers from USA and some of its major NATO partners such as, UK, Canada and West Germany. Thus, DSSC probably became the only institution in the world to train military officers both from the NATO and Warsaw Pact countries together in the art of warfare.

Indira Block was built. Cross-attachment of two officers from each Service to other

Wings started with the 44th Staff Course. Later discontinued from the 47th Staff Course.

1989Lt Gen KS Brar, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, assumed

command of the College. For the first time a student officer from Italy

attended the course. Scudder Medal was instituted for the student

officer standing first in the order of merit for the MSc degree.

Publication of the College professional journal ‘Trishul’ was started.

1990Lt Gen YK Vadehra, AVSM assumed command

of the College. DSSC was recognised as a ‘Research Institute’ by

University of Madras. M Phil and Ph D Programmes started.

1991An army student officer from Namibia and a

Naval student officer from Australia attended the course for the first time.

For the first time the Soviet Navy was represented at Wellington. However the students had to return to Moscow halfway through the course due to the break up of the Soviet Union.

‘Trishakti’, the new auditorium was inaugurated.

1992Lt Gen BS Nalwa, PVSM, assumed command of

the College.

1999Cyber café set up.Para-sailing introduced as a sport.Lt Gen SRR Iyengar, PVSM, AVSM, assumed command of

the College.

2000Local Area Network (LAN) established in the College.

2001Lt Gen PPS Bindra, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, assumed

command of the College.

2003Lt Gen TPS Brar, PVSM, YSM, assumed command

of the College.Information Technology Resource Centre opened. For the second time since the 1971 Indo-Pak War, the army

student officers of the 59th Staff Course were nominated based on computerised selection since the written entrance examination was not held due to Operation PARAKARAM.

2004A team from DSSC led by the Commandant, Lt Gen TPS

Brar, PVSM, YSM, visited the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK.

1994Lt Gen VP Malik, AVSM, assumed command of the

College. First issue of ‘The Hoot’ was published. Capt (IN) MS Mamik was the first officer from DSSC to

receive a Ph.D from Madras University.

1995Lt Gen Baldev Singh, AVSM, VSM, assumed Command of

the College.

1996Short capsules on Low Intensity Conflict, Media Warfare,

Information Technology and the United Nations were introduced for the first time.

1997Post Graduate Diploma course of the Madras University

was introduced for ladies.Lt Gen AS Rao, PVSM, AVSM, assumed command

of the College.

1998Golden Jubilee of DSSC was celebrated.

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